


Take It Little By Little

by Tiny Squid (AvengerofSquids)



Series: Borrowers!Connor and Nines [4]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), The Borrowers - All Media Types, The Littles (Cartoon), giant/tiny - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Borrowers Fusion, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, G/T, Gen, Giant/Tiny, Hank Anderson Swears, On Hiatus, POV Upgraded Connor | RK900, Panic, Protective Connor, Protective Upgraded Connor | RK900, References to The Borrowers, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Is Bad at Feelings, Upgraded Connor | RK900-centric, borrower!Connor, borrower!Nines, probably not going to be finished
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-08
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22608109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvengerofSquids/pseuds/Tiny%20Squid
Summary: Nines knows that Hank isn't going to grab him--if the human had wanted to, he would have made his move while Nines was climbing--but it's difficult to keep that in mind when every instinct he has is screaming at him to move away and hide from the large, fast, dangerous predator..Nines sneaks off to get some answers from Hank in the middle of the night, and Connor struggles with difficult memories.
Relationships: Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Hank Anderson & Upgraded Connor | RK900
Series: Borrowers!Connor and Nines [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549327
Comments: 17
Kudos: 142





	1. One Step Forward

**Author's Note:**

> Do I have an explanation for why this took so long? Yes, life was crazy as usual and I had trouble getting this conversation to work in a way that I was happy with. I also scrapped my original idea for the second chapter so had to redo that as well. Hopefully I'll finish that soon.
> 
> I'm kinda losing interest in D:BH but I still love the Borrowers and want to keep writing this! However, after I publish the second chapter I might put this on the backburner and focus on things I'm more interested in first (like my OCs) before continuing.

For once, Nines is the one up late.

  
Normally it's Connor who has trouble sleeping--he fervently denies nightmares whenever Nines brings up the topic, but he's kicked Nines awake too many times for that lie to be believable--however, it seems like the intensive borrowing run early that morning has done the trick because he's sleeping soundly by the time Hank returns from work. Nines is able to extricate himself from his brother's grasp easily without bothering him and he picks up his bag.

  
It's time for him to do some investigating.

  


.

  


Throughout their stay in this household, Nines has learned that the bookshelf in Hank's living room is a great vantage point. It has plenty of messily-placed books that make decent cover and it's tall enough that even the human struggles to reach the highest shelf. The downside is that there is no quick escape route; the only way off is a several-minute long climb down to the floor, and if Hank wanted to he could probably trap Nines on the top shelf or grab him as he made his way to the floor. 

  
Nines knows this, but he decided that the risk was worth getting some answers, so now he's crouched behind a book and studying Hank as the man sits on the couch and reads. 

  
Over the years, Nines has learned to pick up on little things that most people he's met don't seem to notice. Connor is great at fitting the pieces together and finding clues, but he has trouble figuring out that something's wrong until he's right in the thick of things; Nines is the one who always realizes that there's a puzzle that needs solving in the first place. 

It has been clear since Hank first found them nearly two weeks ago that something was off about the human's behavior, and he needed to figure out what was going on before Connor realized that he was sneaking off and got concerned. It's not that Connor doesn't trust him--he would take on a cat if Nines gave him a reason to, and Nines knows that he would do the same for his older brother--but rather that the last time they remember being apart for more than a few hours, things went. . .badly.   


He wishes that Connor was with him right now, but he's taking a huge risk and he'd rather be the only one facing the consequences for it if the worst happens. That's why he's doing this behind his brother's back to begin with.  


That, and he knows that Connor would vehemently disagree with what Nines was about to do.  


_No time like the present,_ Nines finally decides, taking a hesitant step out from behind the book. He hasn't learned anything from watching Hank nearly every day since their first encounter, and that's not going to change no matter how long he waits. No, if he wants answers, he's going to have to get them from the source.

It would be a lot easier if his source wasn't able to capture or kill him with little to no effort, but it's not like Nines can do anything about that.  


He takes a deep breath and clasps his hands behind his back to hide the fact that they're trembling before he takes another step forward and forces himself to speak. "Hank?"  


Hank doesn't seem to notice so he calls out again, louder this time, and the human jolts, nearly dropping his book as he glances around. It takes a minute for him to locate Nines and his eyes widen before he schools his expression. He doesn't make a move to stand but Nines has to fight the urge to duck out of sight as the human looks him over.

"Nines?" Hank squints before shaking his head. "Or is it Connor? Can't fucking tell from here. What's going on?"  


Clearing his throat, Nines straightens his spine and maintains eye contact. "It's Nines. I have a few questions for you."  


The human grumbles under his breath before placing his book on the coffee table. "'Course you do. Ask away, I guess. Not like I have anything better to do."

 _Maybe this wasn't a good time to talk to him,_ Nines thinks, but he's here now so he might as well get started even though Hank's voice and body language are reading as "grouchy and somewhat annoyed" right now. It seems like this has more to do with the fact that there's a conspicuous lack of beer bottles on the coffee table than being upset about Nines' presence, at the very least, although he's not sure _why_ Hank hasn't grabbed anything to drink even though he's been home for several hours. At this point in the evening he'd normally be on his second or third beer.

Nines realizes that he's wringing his hands and forces himself to think about something other than the strange departure from routine and what it could mean. "You had me in a trap, two weeks ago. You also had the chance to catch Connor and a fair reason to be pissed at him after he stabbed you. We've been in your home behind your back, taking your stuff and living in your private space. Somehow, you don't seem mad about any of this. I'm not sure what I expected, but I figured you'd at least be somewhat upset about us being here and uncomfortable with the idea of us staying. 

"Instead, you've shown the opposite reaction and have been trying to get us to stay. I've noticed the stuff you're leaving out for us and your recent avoidance of the kitchen. If you're trying to trick us, you're being very inefficient about it and you could've just caged us to begin with so I don't think that's the case; however, I can't see any benefit for you to let us stay. That's why I'm here right now."  


Hank frowns and sits in silence for a moment as he watches Nines closely. "So you're here. . .to figure out my ulterior motives, yes? You think I want something from you guys, that the only reason that I'd let you go is if I could get something in return?"

"No, you don't seem like the kind of person to do that at all," Nines quickly reassures, not wanting to accuse Hank of anything. "That's exactly the reason I'm unsure about your intentions; you let us go without asking for anything, but you've also made it clear that you aren't someone who would trick us into owing you a debt. Still, there has to be something you want from us, otherwise you wouldn't be so interested in convincing us to stay here with your recent food handouts. The logical conclusion is that you're curious, but I did not want to make any hasty assumptions without talking to you first."  


Ignoring Hank's furrowing brow and his own twitching tail, Nines continues, "I am willing to answer any and all of your questions as well as cooperate with anything else you might think of in exchange for Connor's safety. You leave him alone, and I will stay and do whatever you want." He falters, forcing himself to swallow against the panic he can feel building in his chest. . ". . .You could kill me, I suppose, if that's what it takes."

For a brief moment, Hank just stares at him in apparent disbelief, but that quickly shifts into clear anger. The human lurches to his feet, and _oh god_ Nines had forgotten how tall he was and he flinches away before he can stop himself.  


"What the fuck," Hank bites out, roughly running a hand through his hair before flinging it out to the side and gesturing uselessly to the air. "What the _fuck_." He sucks in a deep breath, shooting an unreadable glance at Nines before walking towards him--no, past him--into the kitchen.  


Nines can hear Hank rummaging around in the kitchen but he doesn't take this chance to escape; he needs to show that he can be trusted, and besides, he doubts he'd be able to reach the floor before Hank returned. Instead, he focuses on remembering how to breathe.  


That was. . .certainly a reaction. Nines had expected confusion or a vehement refusal but not for Hank to be _that_ upset at the suggestion. What had he said wrong? Should he continue to discuss this with the human or stop altogether? He knew Hank was unpredictable, but the fact that he has no idea where this anger came from is rather unnerving.  


It doesn't take long for Hank to return with a beer bottle and a bag of some sort of food, setting them heavily on the coffee table before returning his focus to Nines. Thankfully he doesn't move any closer to the bookshelf, but his frustration is still very present in his tense body language.  


"Okay," Hank breathes, popping open the bottle. "We're going to pretend that didn't just fucking happen and just move on, because you two have clearly been through a lot of shit that I don't know about so I'm going to assume that you aren't offering that because you think I'm the kind of person who'd get some sort of sick kick out of killing you or whatever you were suggesting."  


Nines wants to interject but he forces himself to keep quiet, letting the man speak as he considers ducking behind the book next to him and out of sight. It wouldn't do anything to help the situation, but it would make him feel a lot less exposed as Hank studies him with a frown before taking a drink from his bottle.  


That was not what he had been trying to insinuate at _all_ , although he can see now how it might come across that way without context. The reason he left the walls to talk to Hank in the first place is because he's so certain that Hank was not planning to hurt or capture them for fun; as long as Hank doesn't think they're a threat or a problem, Nines is pretty sure that they'll be left alone, which is why he's here now to clarify things and make sure that they don't overstep anything without realizing it.

"Hank," he begins, hesitating as he figures out the best way to word this. "For as long as I can remember, my goal has been to keep my brother safe. I want him to be able to live in a place where he doesn't have to fear every single misstep he makes. . .I believe that, with your approval, we might be able to find that safety here. 

"It was not my intention to accuse you of wanting to hurt anyone, and for that I apologize. I was simply trying to express that I am willing to do whatever is necessary if it will help Connor, even at the sacrifice of myself, though I doubted it would come to that. I thought you knowing that would make you feel more comfortable with asking things of me."

"Mhhhm, so you're here to, what, try to make some sort of trade so I don't kick you guys out or something?" Hank asks.  


"Sort of. I want to discuss your terms so that we know what you are okay with us doing; I'd rather know the rules beforehand so that we don't do anything that might cause a problem." _Better to keep you from getting upset,_ Nines thinks but knows better than to add. _It would be very dangerous if you started to think of us as a nuisance._

Hank scratches his beard. "I mean, it's pretty fucking clear that you two aren't planning to make any trouble. Just, I dunno, don't purposefully break things? If you notice something wrong with the house just let me know so I can fix it. Raid the pantry all you want as long as you close things and don't, like, walk around inside food containers or get things dirty. Privacy too; don't like hang around and listen in on everything I do if you don't need to be in the room."  


"That all sounds perfectly agreeable," Nines says once it's clear that the human is finished. He's sure that more things will come up as time passes but Hank seems to be remarkably laid-back when it comes to this.  


_He's tricking you._ Nines' brain insists despite the evidence proving otherwise. The human is just lulling you in _to a false sense of security, making him seem like the good guy so he can manipulate you and take Connor away. You've seen this all before._  


No, he is sure that this is not the case. _Things are different now; we, no, I know better than to be careless. Amanda never gave us a choice there, but now that we're free we can choose who to trust._

Besides, if things go south, Nines is willing to do whatever it takes to protect his brother. He has a mission of his own choosing that he refuses to fail.  


"You said I could ask you something, yeah?" Hank asks, and he continues at Nines' careful nod. "It's just you and Connor living here, not like a whole group of you hanging around in my house, right? I'd like to think I would've noticed the missing food a hell of a lot earlier if that was the case but I have no idea how much you guys eat."  


Nines shakes his head and Hank leans back against the couch. "Glad to know my detective skills aren't fading with age. Listen, you two just let me know if you need anything and I'll be happy to help. I know I'm not exactly the most approachable guy but you don't have to worry about me getting upset if you genuinely need help with something. You two seem nice enough and I'm not enough of an asshole to ignore decent people who could use some assistance, okay? Now, if you don't need anything else I'm gonna keep reading, but you're free to do whatever and I'll leave you alone."  


True to his word, Hank goes back to his magazine after waiting to see if Nines had anything else to say. It's time to go back into the walls before Connor wakes up and notices that he's gone, but that means climbing down the bookshelf, which puts him in a rather vulnerable position considering that Hank's in the same room.  


There's no point in waiting around since it's clear that Hank isn't going to leave anytime soon, and this is as good of a chance as ever to see if Hank means what he says. If Nines is right about the human, he should have no trouble climbing down safely and uninterrupted, but if he's wrong he won't really be able to defend himself without a high risk of slipping and probably dying.

It's not like Nines wants to be pessimistic about everything in life, but it's hard not to think about danger all the time when everything could so so easily kill him, even by accident.  


He pulls out his climbing rope--he really needs to thank Markus for teaching Connor how to make and use these--and hooks it securely to the shelf before beginning his climb, resolutely ignoring Hank so that he can focus on not slipping. The sense of being watched shows up pretty quickly but he doesn't hear any movement from the human, which is exactly what he had hoped for.   


Several minutes later and Nines is safe on solid ground and coiling up his rope for easy transport, glancing over to see that Hank seems to be splitting his focus between Nines and his reading. At least he's not outright staring, and it looks like he had been watching in concern instead of curiosity? Nines appreciates the sentiment, but he's been climbing around his whole life and it's a lot safer now than it was before they had the ropes so Hank has no reason to worry. He begins to make his way to the nearest entrance into the walls but freezes when Hank starts to move.   


There's a muffled "Hold on a sec, forgot I had something for you," as Hank slowly stands, tearing open the bag on the coffee table and grabbing a handful of something from it before turning to Nines, who has gone completely still. Hank moves a bit closer before kneeling down and holding a hand out, leaving a good foot between them in what feels like an attempt to keep from frightening Nines too badly (again, the effort is appreciated, but Nines cannot bring himself to feel anything but fear when the hand approaching him is larger than the bed he shares with his brother every night.)  


He's offering what looks and smells like pretzels, although they're square-shaped and somewhat thicker than any Nines can remember having in the past. Once it's clear that Hank is going to keep his hand still, Nines cautiously approaches. He knows that Hank isn't going to grab him--if the human had wanted to, he would have made his move while Nines was climbing--but it's difficult to keep that in mind when every instinct he has is screaming at him to move away and hide from the large, fast, dangerous predator.   


"If you'd prefer, I can just leave a bunch of these on the counter for you," Hank says, but Nines steels himself and moves within easy grabbing distance. He ignores the faint twitching in the giant fingers because he knows that humans don't have enough control over their limbs to keep themselves entirely still (and isn't that just a terrifying thought) and grabs the closest pretzel.   


It should be able to fit in his bag, but he won't be able to take more than one without sacrificing the use of one of his hands, and he'll need both to get back home safely so he just takes the one before backing up. Giving Hank a polite thanks and what he hopes is a respectful wave, he heads back to the walls uninterrupted.  


That had gone surprisingly well, all things considered. Nines feels like they had worked things out and it looks like Hank feels the same way. All that's left is to get home before Connor gets up and he can mark this down as a successful evening.  


Turning the corner to enter their house, Nines jumps back to avoid running into his brother, who's standing in the entryway with his tail curled in displeasure.  


Well _shit._


	2. HIATUS (NOT AN UPDATE)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just an explanation for why I haven't updated this in a while (lost interest in the fandom, sorry)

I'm sorry to be posting this, which is why I took so long to do it. I have kinda lost interest in Detroit: Become Human and I don't really feel like writing any more fics for it. I have really enjoyed making this fic and I hope to come back to it in the future (along with several WIPs I have lying around) but I am stuck on the chapter and don't feel up to finishing it. This might change in a few months, and I still know where I want to go with this if I continue it, but I just wanted to give you folks an update. I've been writing for other fandoms but haven't posted anything because I feel guilty about having this WIP lurking here. It's not abandoned, but it's not enjoyable to write since I've lost interest in this fandom.

Also, I am moving these fics to a new pseud (idk if you guys will get a notification for that) because I'm going to be keeping my g/t fics separate from my other fics. If you want to see more fics like this one (with borrowers and g/t) then follow the pseud, but all my other fics will be posted under AvengerofSquids. This way people who only want to see g/t (ie more borrower-related fics) can follow my pseud for that without having to ignore any other fics I post.

**Author's Note:**

> Whelp, Nines messed up. Next chapter should be mostly Connor's POV but might have Nines' as well, still deciding which works best. 
> 
> After this part, there will be another filler part before the two big, multi-chaptered parts will be written and more characters will be introduced.


End file.
